How Did Jack Frost Become the Bringer of Winter?
by Ugly-Duckling123
Summary: Title says it...


_"Have you ever heard the expression 'Jack Frost nipping at your nose'?_ " Someone asked the audience in a curious sort of voice

 _"No?"_ he asked when silence and confusion came. _"Well that's because Jack Frost is not an expression. And neither is the saying. I don't even know where it came from,"_ the voice continued as the owner looked out to the stars.

 _"But I'm sure you must of heard of Jack,"_ the voice continued.

" _He's the one all your parent's blame when their drivex are covered in ice and snow, he's the one who they warn ou about to wear those horrible winter coats, he's the one who got , and still gets, the blame back when he was just being learnt about for killing all those people because of the cold and frostbite."_

The owner took a pause and deep breath, to cool himself down, this seeming to be a strong matter for him for some reason, some of the listeners thought.

 _"Well the one who actually did all that back when he was coming out..."_ the white haired, staff wielding boy said _"Was not me. The one doing those terrible things was someone called Old Man Winter..."_

* * *

1748

"Come on men," a farmer called out to his workers as they all worked in the fields harvesting the food that had grown that year. "We have to get all this harvested and in the barn before the snow comes."

It was mid November, so far the Fates have been kind to these hard workers this year.

In spring, the seeds took root right away and nothing ate them. Summer was just the right temperature with a gentle breezes to pollinate the plants. Autumn the crops ripened to be as big and delicious looking as they can, growing big, round and ready to be picked.

But all of that will go to waste, and the whole village will starve, if these farmers didn't get the food into the barns to keep them safe, before winter hit.

Winter was the worst time of the year.

Everyone always got sick, sometimes there was not enough food to last through it, and the storms are so strong you had to barricade your doors up at night just to stop them opening up in the middle of the night.

Sometimes that didn't even work. Especially if the entire roof, or even the whole house was blown away.

No one really liked winter all that much.

No one except a late teenaged boy, with white hair, blue eyes, holding a staff, brown trousers, a white long sleeved shirt, jacket, shoulder cloak and no shoes, who was watching the farmers from a tree, called Jack.

Jack felt bad for the villagers and the farmers.

He knew for a fact that what they have harvested already was never going to be enough to get them though the years coldest season. Especially with the 'big storm' Old Man Winter had planned.

Old Man Winter, was the spirit in charge of the season of ice, frost, and snow. And he was a real grump and hated everything and everyone.

No one ever tried to stand up to him, or try and get him to tone down what he thought a perfect winter was, for fear that he will make them into ice statues to add to his garden in Winter Vally, where he lives, in Finland.

Jack had tried to get the old guy to see reason before, but that failed. Badly.

Thankfully because Jack was also a winter spirit, it meant that Old Man's magic couldn't work on him. But that didn't mean that his body was safe.

After his visit, Jack had four broken ribs, a slightly cracked skull, a dislocated arm, and a broken leg.

He said he'll be even less kind in the future if the boy ever suggested that nonsense to him again.

Jack sighed as he looked out to the fields, just wishing he can do something.

On the ground below him, under the tree were the farmer and his men's kids all talking about what they would like for Christmas this year.

One girl's wish caught Jack's ears when she said.

"I wish I could see the snow, instead of it always stinging my face."

Looking down Jack spotted the girl in question.

She had blonde hair, wore a blue dress, a brown shoulder cloak to keep warm, white snow boots, had a cane next to her, and grey clouded eyes.

"There's not much to see Lilly," one of the other kids said. "Most of the time it's just white, and grey, and boring. The only thing good about winter, is when it's over." he said getting nods and murmers of agreements from the others, and a sigh from Jack.

"Did you hear that?" Lilly asked lifting her head a bit turning her eyes into the tree.

"Hear what?" someone else asked looking up too squinting her eyes trying to understand what her blind friend was trying to find.

"I thought I heard someone sighing," Lilly said after a bit. Then shaking her head said "I guess I was wrong."

"I know," yet someone else said "Lets play a game of Blind Man's Bluff."

"Oh I don't want to play today Sam," Lilly said smiling sweetly. "You can play tag or something that needs eyes to play."

"You sure?" everyone asked.

"Yes," Lilly said still smiling. "Mum moved a few things in the house last night and didn't get a chance to warn me before I got up this morning and tripped over them," Lilly explained sure she heard someone trying not to laugh, but was doubbly sure it wasn't one of her friends, so she kept going. "It means my legs are a bit sore, so I'll just sit this out."

"Ok," Sam said getting up. "But call us if you need anything."

Getting a nod, he and his other friends went off a little bit so they had more space to run around in.

After a bit, without turning around or looking up, Lilly spoke to who she heard.

"So who are you?"

"Huh?" Jack said looking over the side of the branch again seeing everyone but the blind girl gone.

"I said who are you," Lilly said "And I'm sorry if me and my friends were a bit loud. They must not of noticed you when they chose this spot to play in."

"You... talking to me?" Jack asked confused coming down.

"Why do you sound confused by that?" Lilly said still looking forward not sure where this man was.

"You can hear me?" Jack said excitement coming to his voice, something Lilly didn't miss on confusing her.

"Why wouldn't I be able to hear you?" she asked cocking her head a bit.

"It's just most of the time, people don't notice me that's all," Jack said smiling.

"Why?" Lilly asked turning to face this man.

"Promise not to say I'm weird, or crazy, or freak out?" Jack asked coming to sit next to the girl, playing with his staff.

"I promise," Lilly said smiling, doing the hand gestures the village's children did when making promises, meaning they can't go back on that promise.

"It's because to them," Jack said in a sad voice "I'm not there to be taken notice of."

"What do you mean?" Lilly asked reaching out her hand to feel Jack's face to know what he looked like "You are here, I can feel you. So how can you not be there to the others?"

"I'm... I'm a spirit," Jack said after a bit "Only those who believe in me can see and hear me. And with someone else getting the... the honor of doing the same thing I can do, I'm just pushed aside and never seen or heard."

"That's not very nice of the first person then," Lilly said smiling gently following the mans arm to his hand to hold it for comfort.

"Well he's not really all that nice a person," Jack said.

"You still haven't said who you are Sir," Lilly commented.

"Jack," Jack said "Jack Frost."

"I like that name," Lilly said smiling and choosing to rest her head on his arm. "My name's Lilly Watts."

They stayed quiet for a while watching and listening to the world around them when a thought came to Jack.

"Hey Lilly," he said getting her attention with a _'Yeah?'_ "Why... Why do you want to see the snow so bad? That is if it's alright for me to ask?" he said hurriedly afterwards.

"Well, because I'm blind," Lilly began in a mid volume toned voice "I can't see anything. There are lots of things I want to see, my parents, my friends, a sunset, the stars, the leaves in autumn... But one of the things I want to see most is winter and the snowflakes."

Thinking Jack asked "How good are your fingertips at seeing for you, Lilly?"

"They do all the seeing for me, my ears and nose can't. Why?" Lilly said sitting up a bit when Jack shifted a little to cup his hands together and make a snowflake.

"Hold out your hand," he said dropping the flake into Lilly's hand then gently taking the other one guided it over it.

After a bit Lilly looked up smiling "It's beautiful. I wish you were in charge of winter rather then that other guy you mentioned. Then we can have snowflakes like this instead of ones that sting your face."

"Thanks," Jack said smiling liking this girl, even if she still couldn't see him.

"LILLY!" someone called getting the two to look up. "Time to go dear."

"Dad?" Lilly asked checking if that was her father's voice. "Dad. I have to go now Jack, sorry, here." she said trying to give the snowflake back.

"You can keep it," Jack said helping her up "So you can always know what they look like, and remember me."

"But I wont forget about you Jack," Lilly said hugging him gently.

"Well just in case," Jack said hugging her back a bit tightly not wanting to let go of her.

With that, Lilly started to head off slowly down the hill, towards the calls of her father and friends, so they can go home.

Jack watched as his first friend since he rose up from that pond left.

Thinking over what she had said, he nodded in determination and gripping his staff tightly, jumped into the air and asked the winds to take him to Winter Vally.

* * *

When he got there, Jack took a few deep breaths trying not to remember what happened last time he was here, or look at the ice sculptures - some he was sure were new, and then began to head for the home of Old Man Winter.

When he got inside he only had to wait about half a minute before a voice called out...

"I thought I made it clear last time, I don't like visitors."

With that Old Man Winter came into view his hair (or what was left of it), mustache and large beard white as snow, his eyes the same color of Jack but holding no warmth, his long robe covered in snowflakes reaching the floor covering his feet, the edges of it rimmed with clouds, and in his hand a large staff of ice.

"Good thing I'm not here to visit then," Jack said smiling and backing of a bit holding up his hands.

"Then why are you here Jack Frost?" Winter asked looking towards Jack like he was something found under a rock.

"To challenge you, for the title of the Bringer of Winter," Jack said with determination bringing his staff across himself getting into a fighting pose.

"You're kidding," Winter said in a with-out-a-care-in-the-world voice. "You're kidding right? Shrimp I've been doing this job since before you were even around. You think I'm going to let a puny little skinny untalented, inexperienced boy like you take the title of 'Bringer of Winter'?"

"No, I don't think you will 'let' me," Jack said trying to stay calm "Which is why I'm challenging you for it. Winner is the season bringer from hence forth, and the loser, must not mess with their work."

After a bit of thinking this over, Winter nodded.

"Very well Jack Frost," he said standing tall "I shall accept your challenge. It will give me a warm up for the winter I shall be bringing this year. So when shall we start?"

"In one hour," Jack said turning to leave.

"Oh but an hour's so long from now Frost," Winter said catching Jack's ears with that vile and cunning voice of his "How about we start now?"

If Jack hadn't suspected this, and dodge out the way, he would be frozen to the wall.

Thankfully he was suspecting it and after he dodged shot a string of icicles right back, anger and frustration on his face.

"What kind of guy shoots someone who's back's turned? Huh?" Jack cried as he jumped out the way of another attack from Winter.

"The smart kind, Frost," Winter said holding his staff up like a shield to block the cold wind attack coming from the boy.

"Rather the cowardly kind," Jack retaliated jumping into the air and bringing his staff down in both hand releasing a large amount of ice and snow only to be met by the same but stronger attack by Winter, pushing him back a bit slamming him into the wall and making him fall to the floor.

"Ha give up, Frost," Winter said gloatingly. "As I said, I have more experience, I have more power, I have been doing this job since before you were even born!"

"What you have... Is a big fat mouth that needs to be shut off," Jack said groaning as his got back up a new look of anger on his face, his eyes now matching the older spirits. "Here let me help with that..."

At that Jack swiped his staff again and shot it towards Winter's face turning it black with frostbite, as is covered his mouth and went down his throat into his lungs.

Screams of pain and anger from Winter, were turned into coughs wheezes as he dropped to the floor a hand to his throat, only for that to stop when he could no longer move his mouth.

"You feel that?" Jack said in a dark voice that didn't suit him, standing over the old man "That's what you bring to everyone in the world with your winters. That's what your experience, your power, your cold, gives this world."

On the ground Winter was still struggling to breath looking up at this boy wondering where on earth did he get his much power from. He himself wasn't able to preform colds cold enough for frostbite until he was 239. And from what he heard of this boy, he's only 36.

Before he could think more, he was thrown back by a blast of air.

"For years, I've been stuck in your shadow Winter," Jack said flying up holding his staff to the old man's neck. "Even though no one knows it, you're give me and other winter spirits a bad name. Well that's all about to change..."

With that, Jack lifted the old man into the air and threw him across the room.

Slowly Winter got up his face still burning, and throat and lungs still prickling from the ice still in them.

Gripping his staff tightly, Winter swung it towards the boy who was ready for it this time and did the same attack matching the old man's assault this time.

Neither backing down, neither giving up, neither refusing to surrender, meaning the ball of ice, snow, and frost just got bigger and bigger.

Until it was too big to handle and it started moving towards Jack.

Determined not to lose, not to let the world's winter continue to be ruled over my this guy, not to let Lilly down, Jack called for all the powers he had and slammed his hands together crying in determination, sending a boost down the line and forcing the ball to move the other way, and strike Old Man Winter, covering him in ice.

Panting, Jack looked up, his eyes back to their nice warm glow they normally hold seeing that Winter was covered in ice. Only his eyes could move and they were wide open with shock, again for how much power this boy had.

"It appears I have won Winter," Jack said standing tall determination on his face. "Now I am the Bringer of Winter to the world, and you - if you manage to get out of there that is," Jack said looking to the ice prison Winter was in not feeling one bit sorry for the man. "Will not mess with my work."

With that, Jack turned and left.

As he passed the ice sculptures as he went back down the garden's path, slowly they began to melt, winter had a new holder, meaning the old ones magic was weakening setting them free.

* * *

That years winter was kind and gentle. Kids instead of hiding from the snow, could now play in it, their eyes growing wide at the beauty the season brought, and the snowflakes and their pattens.

Jack smiled as he saw the village children play in the first snowfall he created, his heart growing at the sound of every new kid's laughter.

"Jack?" someone called catching his ear.

Looking over the side he saw Lilly had made it to the tree, wearing a big smile.

"Here I am," Jack said coming down landing next to her. "So like what I did?" he asked a smile to his voice.

"But I thought you said the Bringer of Winter wasn't a nice enough person to stuff like this," she said slowly getting to the ground, Jack following her.

"Well winter has a new Bringer," Jack said proudly "and he's sitting right next to you."

"Thank you Jack," Lilly said small tears in the corners of her eyes. No one has ever done something like this for her before.

"Hey Lilly you want to build a snowman?" one of her friends called to her getting her to turn her head.

"Coming," she said then back to Jack.

"Go on," he said helping her up. "That's why I made the snow like this, so you can play in it. Seems a shame for it to go to waste."

With a final smile and a hug, Lilly set off back down the hill towards the voices of her friends.

* * *

 _'From then on, I was in charge of the winter, bringing laughter, play, making the snow behave how I wanted it.'_ Jack spoke out to the audience.

 _'I visited that village every year, to meet up with my friend Lilly Watts. Meeting by that same tree she found me in on that very first winter._

 _We spoke on how the year was, how great things were going for the village now I took over the snowfalls. I looked forward to seeing her every year._

 _But I should of known it would not last.'_ Jack said in a sad voice.

 _'What happened? Lets just say something happened to her._

 _I didn't learn about it until the end of the season, always saying to myself "She'll come tomorrow... She'll come tomorrow..." but she never did._

 _That's caused me to create the 'Blizzard of '68' as the Easter Bunny would call it,'_ Jack said smiling a bit but still sad.

 _'It's amazing isn't it?'_ he asked making a snowflake identical to the one he gave Lilly on that very first day _'That something so small, like a little blind girls wish, and a reasonably new winter spirit, could hold so much power, for the whole view on the most hated season to change.'_

 _'People still think that I don't exist,'_ Jack carried on _'But I brush that aside when I see their happy faces when I bring the first snowfall, and snowdays to their towns. Because winter... It's important, it may be cold and dark, but it rejuvenates the soil and rests the land for the next years crops to grow._

 _So next time you're about to scoff at the name, or say 'Jack Frost's only an expression...'_

 _Think about who could be bringing winter to you instead. And be happy that I'm real.'_

With that Jack blew on the snowflake and sent it in across the grassy hills, it twirling and spinning until it came to an old small cemetery a bit away from the town that used to be the village Jack kept visiting when he met Lilly.

Slowly the flake rose into the air and hung there raising it's opposite points every now and then, as if looking for something.

Then finding what it wanted moved over to the grave stone of Lilly Watts and softly landed on top.

A little gift from the Spirit of Winter to his first friend.

* * *

 **AN: Ok I probably should say this (if you haven't guessed it - like I know someone has) This story is going along the lines of Silly Filly Studio's Snowdrop - If you don't know what that is you should watch it.**

 **Congrats to those who made the connection, hope you liked it**

 **U-D123 :)**


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